Wednesday, 31 July 2024

'Blows Must Decide' (King George III 1774).

Artillery and cavalry on the way from Peter Pig then to add a baggage base to each army for which I have some fun ideas. 

Two x 12 point  armies for DBN variant. Designed for battles on my folding card table ( 2'6"x 2'6")

 British/Loyalist/Hessian.

  • Foot Guards. 2 Bases (Ms) Elite plus 1 base (Ms/Light) Elite     4.5 points.
  • British line. 4 bases (Ms.)           4 points.
  • (Option to replace 1 British line base with:  Hessian converged Grenadiers (Ms.)  1 point.
  • Butlers Rangers. 1 base   (Loyalist)  (Ms)     1 point.
  • Hessian jager   1 base   (Jager) Elite   1.5 points.
  • Foot artillery  1 base                     1 point.
  • Light Dragoons   1 base                1 point.
  • Command (Free)
  • Baggage (Free)

American.

  • Continental line infantry.   5 bases. (Ms).  1 can be Elite (1st Maryland).   5 points (or 5.5)
  • Light Infantry     1 base.       1 point
  • Riflemen.      1 base  (Jager)  Elite    1.5 points
  • Militia.  6 bases (Ms)         3 points.
  • Continental Dragoons      1 base (cav)       1 point.
  • Foot Artillery     1 point.
  • Command (Free)
  • Baggage (Free)





















On the commission painting front working through 4 more Warlord Epic Pike and Shotte cavalry sprues for Noel, this time including a batch of casualty markers which I really enjoyed doing.








Saturday, 20 July 2024

DBAWI - two weeks in!

Phew it's been hot here, slightly cooler today which is good as we are off to a family BBQ so day off from painting.

13 bases knocked off so far so this could be a short project! I enjoy challenging myself like this. Lovely Peter Pig figures of course on 50mm x 30mm bases. Keeping the basing simple and clean so no tufts or rocks etc. The Warflag free flag prints really add that extra touch of colour. Loyalist Rangers will be next base, green coats with red facings and buff breeches.

This is of course alongside commission work, this week 2 Battalions of Epic French infantry with 4 strips to paint. Drummers still in Royal dress for these two as requested. 16 strips per monthly batch and customer will be doing the basing and flags. 














Monday, 15 July 2024

Another batch of Indians and a quick AWI project!

On the commission work front I completed another batch of 60 mounted Indians before the weekend and have have also been starting my new project alongside with 8 bases already painted. 

This batch of Indians - Mark and I had a long chat on the phone and we both agreed that we are comfortable calling them thus although it may not be entirely PC these days! - are predominately lighter horses but still varied. Whilst they all start with the drybrush of Flat Brown over black I find they can be worked up to any shade of horse. For black horses I leave the dry rush and highlight them with Black Grey and then add a slight touch of London Grey to lightly pick out the muscle tone. Greys begin with London Grey drybrush and then worked up through Medium Sea Grey to Sky Grey muscle tone and finally Ivory. All references are to Vallejo 'Model' range and as always I select only the most heavily pigmented shades when working up over black base coat.

There remains just another 20 Indians plus 65 assorted foot figures, Civilians, cowboys etc and this is down for the August batch to complete what I have left here. Still to come are the dismounted US Cavalry which remain with the sculptor before being ready for casting plus one more mounted Troop of the 7th being the famous Grey Horse Troop.







Pre satin varnish,

This  week I'm moving onto the start of numerous French Napoleonic regiments using Warlord Epic strips and I have 4  regiments of 80 figures each to begin with. Then back to Noels ECW Epics followed by another delve into Old John's Big Box! It's all ticking over nicely, I spend about 4 hours per day Monday to Friday on commission work and then a bit for myself in the afternoons and weekends as I tend not to paint after around 5pm anyway, I'm basically keeping office hours with tea and lunch breaks.

The AWI project is quite simply a quick one designed for the DBN rules variant so just 12 points per side with most being one point per base of 10 figures and US Militia being a half point. With 8 bases painted last week this week I'll be bashing through the militia hoping to finish 8 bases (4 points) of 10 figures. The Variety within the Peter Pig militia packs is wonderful and I'm really looking forward to putting them together with lots of colourful flags saying nasty things about the British! Aim is to complete the figures with about a month.


First two Continental infantry.

Fresh off the ship! 1775 regulation.


British Foot tricornes unpinned, lace removed and coat tails cut down with breeches.

Officer keeping up appearances!

Foot Guards, colours left aboard ship, hats pinned up on the left side with brass badge.


Guards comprise two bases and a base of lights (8 figures only on the left of the brigade).

Wednesday, 3 July 2024

AWI photos, 15mm and 6mm as I start again!

This post is by way of a link from my latest YouTube video where I discuss my latest project - a return to the American War of Independence using 15mm Peter Pig figures which I will be basing for a variant of DBN rules. A modest 12 bases per side project ( to begin with!) to be be played on my 2'6" square folding card table. 

The 15mm figures were painted (and sold) around 10 years ago and the 6mm's (Baccus) a few years afterwards.